Boscastle flood

Created by: Ella
Created on: 28-05-13 11:49


	Boscastle flood
	Causes It happened at high tide. The steepness of the valley accelerated the rainwater falling on the hills as it travelled down to the valley floor where Boscastle lies. Hard impermeable surfaces increased bsurface run-off. The entire South-West of the country had faced stormy weather in the days leading up to the flood on the 16th of August, therefore the ground was saturated. The combination of high localised temperatures and the great quantity of unabsorbed surface water plus moist winds off the sea caused a great deal of moist, warm air to travel upwards quickly. The rain started, and within a few hours a massive 5 inches of rain had fallen in Boscastle alone. The flow in the valley was met by the water directed down from the moors, the sheer volume of water in such a small space at once caused the Valency to burst its banks & cause a high level of damage in the village. No flood control system. The sewer & drainage systems in Boscastle were old & had a small capacity. The river Valency had never had a major flood, so the residents of Boscastle saw no need to prepare for such an event. The flash flood was a freak event.	Effects Roads were blocked off by the floodwater, making emergency access difficult except from the air. Even when rescue helicopters arrived, the valley was only big enough for two to operate at any one time, prolonging the operation & putting lives at risk from the still rising flood waters. Property was destroyed by debris such as entire trees & vehicles speeding down the valley at high speed, pulled out towards the sea by the raging torrent. Buildings were smashed, especially in the main street where the river channel flows. People were trapped in buildings by the floodwater & forced to seek refuge on the roofs of the buildings & await rescue. The danger of hypothermia, shock or even being swept away was great. People were left homeless for the night, so emergency accommodation had to be set up. Nearby hotels & guest houses were packed with tourists who had arrived in Boscastle in the morning & had lost their cars, so were unable to return to their accommodation elsewhere. A burst sewage main & damaged buildings made much of Boscastle inaccessible for health & safety reasons for at least a few days. Floodwater damaged a great deal of properties. Possessions were lost, river water & a burst sewage main spoiled the ground floor of many houses & thousands of pounds worth of damage was done. Repairs had to be made after the damage. This was very time consuming & costly.Some buildings were beyond repair & their owners have had to consider rebuilding from scratch. The damage not only affected the residents, but also insurance companies. It is likely that home insurance will be much costlier in Boscastle from now on. Boscastle's main industry is tourism. The town was effectively closed to tourists after the flood, causing a massive loss of revenue.Tourist attractions such as the witchcraft museum were lost & tourists next season will be wary of visiting the town in case the floods are repeated. Boscastle may never recover its tourist industry fully & many small businesses could go out of business as a result.
	Overall summary The Response-

Boscastle flood

Causes

It happened at high tide.
The steepness of the valley accelerated the rainwater falling on the hills as it travelled down to the valley floor where Boscastle lies.
Hard impermeable surfaces increased bsurface run-off.
The entire South-West of the country had faced stormy weather in the days leading up to the flood on the 16th of August, therefore the ground was saturated.
The combination of high localised temperatures and the great quantity of unabsorbed surface water plus moist winds off the sea caused a great deal of moist, warm air to travel upwards quickly.
The rain started, and within a few hours a massive 5 inches of rain had fallen in Boscastle alone. The flow in the valley was met by the water directed down from the moors, the sheer volume of water in such a small space at once caused the Valency to burst its banks & cause a high level of damage in the village.
No flood control system.
The sewer & drainage systems in Boscastle were old & had a small capacity.
The river Valency had never had a major flood, so the residents of Boscastle saw no need to prepare for such an event. The flash flood was a freak event.

Effects

Roads were blocked off by the floodwater, making emergency access difficult except from the air.
Even when rescue helicopters arrived, the valley was only big enough for two to operate at any one time, prolonging the operation & putting lives at risk from the still rising flood waters.
Property was destroyed by debris such as entire trees & vehicles speeding down the valley at high speed, pulled out towards the sea by the raging torrent. Buildings were smashed, especially in the main street where the river channel flows.
People were trapped in buildings by the floodwater & forced to seek refuge on the roofs of the buildings & await rescue. The danger of hypothermia, shock or even being swept away was great.
People were left homeless for the night, so emergency accommodation had to be set up. Nearby hotels & guest houses were packed with tourists who had arrived in Boscastle in the morning & had lost their cars, so were unable to return to their accommodation elsewhere.
A burst sewage main & damaged buildings made much of Boscastle inaccessible for health & safety reasons for at least a few days.
Floodwater damaged a great deal of properties. Possessions were lost, river water & a burst sewage main spoiled the ground floor of many houses & thousands of pounds worth of damage was done.
Repairs had to be made after the damage. This was very time consuming & costly.Some buildings were beyond repair & their owners have had to consider rebuilding from scratch.
The damage not only affected the residents, but also insurance companies. It is likely that home insurance will be much costlier in Boscastle from now on.
Boscastle's main industry is tourism. The town was effectively closed to tourists after the flood, causing a massive loss of revenue.Tourist attractions such as the witchcraft museum were lost & tourists next season will be wary of visiting the town in case the floods are repeated. Boscastle may never recover its tourist industry fully & many small businesses could go out of business as a result.